Technical

Being an artist and a business person isn’t always easy. I love being an artist but the only way I am able to do this as a career is to access my ‘business’ side. I have to say that a lot of this comes naturally to me but I know a lot of artists have a hard time turning their art into a career. They don’t know how to price their work, how to advertise it, how get ‘out there’. A lot of artists are introverts and would rather not be ‘out there’! But if you want to make money doing what you love, sometimes you have to push your boundaries. This is a quick tutorial on how to sell your art online. This is one of the first steps you can take in order to monetize your masterpieces!

Third Party Vendors: CafePress & ImageKind

There are various vendors online that will do all the work for you! If you are just starting out and are unsure of how well your art will sell, this might be a good place to start. I started with both of these vendors (CafePress and ImageKind) and found them to be a helpful place to get my feet wet and see the interest for my work. Both of these vendors will allow you to upload digital files to their website and they will print, package, and send the artwork to anyone who purchases it. You can sign up for free for either of these sites but there are also upgraded packages that require monthly costs. The catch with these sites is that they take a small percentage of your sales. This isn’t necessarily so bad since you aren’t dealing with the time involved in printing, shipping, customer service, etc. The other benefit of using one of these sites is the automatic advertising you’ll receive by being on their site. Both vendors feature artists on a regular basis, and you will also come up in search results for customers looking to buy similar artwork.

Do It Yourself!
If you’ve already used third party vendors or would just rather do everything yourself, then the rest of this info is for you! I decided to remove my work from both of these sites as I was ready to take the whole process into my own hands. I wanted my customers to feel like they are supporting me as an artist and that they are getting something lovingly made by myself! I’ve designed special packaging for each print and hand signed all my artwork. I also like to communicate with my customers and deal directly with them. Another benefit to doing it all yourself, there is potentially more money to be made. So if you have the time and are ready to take the plunge, please continue to read below!

Printers
The first thing you’ll need is a printer. From my research, most artists are using either the Epson R1900 or Epson R2880. Of course, there are a thousand printers out there and there is no one stopping you from researching other brands! The Epsons are the standard in the industry and both these printers work well with specialty papers and use archival inks. Archival inks are important if you want your prints to stand the test of time. This is a big selling feature for buyers as well. I personally own the Epson R1900. The main difference between this one and the next model up is that the Epson R2880 is very good at printing in black and white. It has a range of blacks and is specially made for black and white photography. The R2880 is also better at handling very thick art papers so this is something to keep in mind when deciding which model is best for you.

Paper
You’ll want to decide what kind of paper will best display your work. If you create watercolours or other fine art, you can purchase beautifully textured, thick papers that will make your prints look almost like the original. I print on Epson Ultra Premium Presentation paper which is a bright white, non-glare paper with a luxurious weight and feel. It is a smooth paper which I think works best for my illustrations. The best bet in order to decide which paper would work best for your work, is to visit your local printer/photographic supplier and examine the samples. You can also buy sample packs to bring home and create test prints in order to decide more accurately. You’ll want to consider the cost per sheet for your prints when you’re later deciding on pricing your art.

Print Sizing
When starting out, it’ll be easiest to work with one paper size. This way, all your packaging, shipping rates, etc will be the same. A very standard size for a print is 8.5×11. If you want to offer a larger size, you can move up to 11×13. If your artwork is square, you can also consider offering a square size within these dimensions. I would stick to one (or two at most) sizes to start in order to keep things manageable.

Packaging and Shipping
You’ll need to take special care to package and ship your prints so that they aren’t damaged en route to their new home. I use a stiff cardboard mailer with ‘Do Not Bend’ stickers on it in order to keep each print safe and sound. You’ll also want to package your print in a plastic sleeve in order to protect in from getting soiled. You should also consider adding a sticker or cardboard label somewhere on your packaging with your logo, contact info, etc. This will allow for your print to look professional.

Pricing
If you are working with a typical 8.5×11 print, pricing can range anywhere from $10-$30 on average for a relatively unknown artist. This is average and you can of course, charge as much or as little as you want! Before deciding on a price, you’ll want to determine the cost of each print. Once you know this cost, you’ll also want to consider the idea that one day you may want to sell your prints wholesale (which is usually 50% of the retail price). You’ll want to give yourself a big enough margin to still make a decent profit if you decide to also sell wholesale.

Resources to Sell Online
There are various ways to sell your art online, including creating your own online store. The one way I highly recommend is through the popular site Etsy. Etsy is a large community where artists can sell their work online. They are a beautifully designed and functionally sound site that allows you to take the headache out of designing and programming a site yourself (not to mention the cost!). There are many benefits to using Etsy, but one of the biggest ones is the exposure you’ll get to new customers. They don’t charge a monthly fee but they do charge $0.20 per item you post and take 4% off each sale. This is relatively low considering the benefits. I am still relatively new to Etsy but so far, I am happy with its success.

This is a very basic run through of how to get started. I know that this info would have been invaluable to me when I started out so I hope some of it is helpful to you. If you have any resources to add (other online vendors or tips/tricks), please feel free to add them in the comments!

In order to be successful in the competitive illustration market, you really need to stand out. There are so many talented artists out there, all chasing after the same opportunities. If you want the art director to notice YOU, you have to be unique.

I still consider myself fairly ‘new’ to the children’s illustration market but I do feel as though I’m becoming more established every day. I receive work on a regular basis and feel fairly confident in my style. I’ve received quite a few emails asking me how I developed my illustration style. This is a tough question but I’d like to try to tackle it for those illustrators wondering where to start. I may not know everything, but I’ll share with you what I’ve learned along the way!

1. Practice, Practice, Practice!
The more you draw, the better you’ll get. It’s important to draw A LOT in order to become successful at any style. Before worrying about what makes you unique from other illustrators, just practice your art and perfect it. Draw in a lot of styles. See what you like and don’t like. Try lots of different media: acrylics, watercolours, pen and ink, digital, and more! Try not to refer to other artists too much and create from your own imagination. You don’t want to subconsciously start copying another artist’s style. You won’t be doing yourself any favors by copying another style as that artist is already out there and they are likely to already be established in that style. No need for two of the same artist!

2. Choose Your Medium.
Review all your work. What medium appealed to you most? What was most fun? If you love what you’re doing, you’ll do it the best! If you notice you had a great knack with watercolours and enjoyed that the most, then maybe that is the best route for you. Digital art is becoming increasingly popular but you shouldn’t pick that route simply for that reason. You MUST pick what you love most. This is the key to doing the best art possible.

3. Identify and Emphasize.
Once you’ve chosen your preferred medium, you need to make yourself stand out in that medium. For example, observe all your watercolour work and try to notice elements about your work that occur in each illustration. Do you draw with very loose, free lines or are you really rigid? Do you like to use a lot of pastel colours or strong, bold colours? Do you like to draw your characters very abstract or do you tend to make over-emphasize features? Take notes about these trends. I would then advise to emphasise them. Play around with them and see where you can take them.

4. Do Your Research. Know Your Market.
After getting a bit of a sense of your favorite medium and your personal trending as an artist, you need to place yourself in the market. What kind of work are you looking for as an artist? Are you looking for work in publishing? If you’d like to become a children’s illustrator, research other children’s illustrators that are working in the same medium as you. How is your work different? Make it stand out from others that are doing a similar thing. You may choose to alter your style a bit after doing this research in order to keep yourself fresh and unique. But remember, to stick with what you love!

5. Find a Mentor.
Is there an artist you look up to? Someone who truly inspires you and is working in a similar market? Try emailing them for advice! I know when I started out, I received invaluable advice from other artists that helped form the illustrator I am today. Some artists may not reply as they may not have the time but if you’re lucky enough to get a reply, listen to their advice. It may be good or bad advice, but at least take it in and reflect on it. Experienced illustrators who have been working in the field for a while can offer amazing tips to strengthen your style and make sure it is unique to you!

6. Develop A Portfolio.
Once you’re more sure of your style and direction, you should develop a portfolio of a least 10 images. I highly recommend having an online portfolio displaying this work.

7. Be Consistent.
Although your style doesn’t have to be set in stone (artists do like to experiment!), it’s important to have a set of images in a similar style to show that you are able to be consistent with your work and  it’ll help you stand out as an experienced artist. This is another reason it’s important to love the medium and style you choose; you will be using the style for a while to come!

I know these points are fairly short and sweet but they basically describe my route to success. I am still journeying through the illustration indsutry but I am beginning to get a handle on things. A lot of the skills I’ve acquired have come through time, so don’t give up if you don’t succeed right away. And of course, feel free to email me with any questions or advice!

Disclaimer: This post will most likely interest digital artists and is more technical than my usual posts :)

As a digital artist, my drawing equipment is very important to me. Almost all my work is done directly on the computer. I occasionally break out a sketchbook for developing ideas, characters, or layouts but most everything is digital.

Until now, I’ve been drawing with a Wacom Intuos3 6 x 11 inch pen tablet on a 24″ iMac. It’s been a great setup for the past couple years but since the birth of my son, efficient work flow and time management have become of utmost importance. I have limited time to work: 1 – 2 hours during the day when my son naps and 2 – 4 hours in the evenings (the evening time varies depending on how much time I want to spend with my hubby!). Because of my limited time, I felt the need to examine my current setup and see if there were ways to become more efficient producing work.

“The Modbook is the revolutionary slate-style tablet that enables users to draw, sketch and write directly on the screen” – Axiotron Website. The Modbook uses a Macbook base and is ‘modded’ to include the tablet. Drawing right on the screen of my computer would definitely increase efficiency as this ability most closely mimics drawing on paper. My old setup of drawing with a tablet on my desk while looking up at my computer is disjointing and unnatural. I often found myself redrawing the same line many times just to get it right. This was frustrating and made my illustrations take much longer.

So I purchased a Modbook. I was excited to be able to draw on screen and also be able to carry this laptop around and draw anywhere I go (might come in handy while following a toddler around). After the excitement of receiving my Modbook wore off, I started to settle in with it and tried to establish a new work flow. To my surprise, I was very displeased with my new setup and definitely DID NOT feel like it was improving my work flow or use of time.

The following were my issues with the Modbook:

1. Because of mod, there is no keyboard on the laptop. I use keyboard shortcuts ALL the time while illustrating, and I wasn’t able to set up the palettes in a way that made my work flow as efficient as using a keyboard. I do have a wireless keyboard but setting myself up in order to use it effectively would mean being at a desk and therefore defeating the benefit of the Modbook being portable.
2. The screen is very small (13 inch) and difficult to work with in comparison to my 24 inch iMac (especially with all the extra palettes open).
3. The Macbook itself is not very powerful and load/save times are slow.
4. Most importantly, the pen reaction time and calibration were impossible (for me) to adjust to and it became harder to draw digitally than before. Whenever I wanted to draw near the sides or corner of the screen, the calibration was way off. The pen sensitivity is also HALF of what I was used to with my Wacom. The drawing experience was poor.
5. I found the idea of holding the laptop and drawing in my lap appealing but the reality of it was that the calibration needed changing every time I changed the angle of the computer or adjusted my seating position.

SUMMARY: Overall I found the Modbook size to be confining, the lack of keyboard reduced my efficiency, the pen sensitivity and accuracy was half of what I was used to with my Wacom, and the portability factor was no longer as appealing when dealing with difficult calibration.

This is where my wonderfully loved Wacom Cintiq 21UX comes in! After being very disappointed with my Modbook (especially at the price point – which I should mention is the same as the Cintiq 21UX), I decided to exchange it for a Cintiq. Am I ever glad I made the exchange! The Wacom Cintiq is a large screen display that you can draw directly on and is the leading tool for professional artists, illustrators, animators, photographers, etc.

The following is why I LOVE my Cintiq 21UX:

1. The screen is 21 inches and gives me TONS of room to draw.
2. The pen sensitivity and calibration are top notch and just what I’m used to from my previous Wacom Intuos 3.
3. I am able to use all my keyboard shortcuts. I’ve set up the Cintiq on my desk with a keyboard and second monitor.
4. There are touch pads and quick link buttons on either side that can be programmed for additional shortcuts.

To finalize, I ultimately bought the Modbook because I was interested in the portability factor but realized that a better quality drawing experience is more important to me. The Cintiq has surpassed all my expectations and I couldn’t recommend it any more highly. It has made drawing on the computer more fluid, efficient, and enjoyable!

Rachelle Anne Miller stamps, produced by STAMPAVIE now have an Angel Policy!

This policy is intended for stampers who love to craft and want to make some extra money on the side by selling the cards they produce with my designs. In order to continue to protect my rights as an artist but also allow a bit more freedom for you, there are a few guides to follow with this new policy (see below). I hope that by doing this, it’ll allow many of you to continue creating beautiful cards and perhaps even earn a little extra cash on the side :o)

The following restrictions apply to our Angel Policy:

1. Each project should be crafted by the individual and must be hand stamped.

2. Any artwork created using Rachelle Anne Miller designs must not infringe third-party copyrighted material.The artist must accept full responsibility for his or her artwork.

3. Electronic, mechanical, freehand, or graphic reproduction (such as scanning or photocopying) is strictly prohibited.

4. A maximum of 100 hand-stamped items is permitted.

5. Credit for the stamped images and ©Rachelle Anne Miller by STAMPAVIE must appear on the back of your items.

6. Rachelle Anne Miller or STAMPAVIE may amend its policies governing the use of its copyrighted designs and images, including the Angel Policy, at any time. Amendments to such policies are effective upon publication unless otherwise noted and will be posted on the official Rachelle Anne Miller or STAMPAVIE website. We reserves the right to deny or terminate permission to use Rachelle Anne Miller designs and images with respect to any particular person.

I’m often asked if I use watercolours for my illustrations. I do all my illustrations on the computer – they are completely digital. You can view my 8-Step Illustration process here. I definitely try to make my illustrations look like watercolours (my favorite medium) but it’s all through the magic of Photoshop!

This is a quick 4-step tutorial to show you how to finish off an illustration and truly make it look like a scanned-in piece of artwork. This is just a taste of the things you can do with Photoshop filters. I plan to write more similar tutorials to help you in your exploration of digital art. This tutorial has been written for someone who is somewhat familiar with Photoshop. If it’s too complicated or you need further explanation on how to do a step, please let me know!

STEP 1 – OPEN YOUR IMAGE
Open the image you’d like to transform into a watercolour painting. (NOTE: Make sure your image is NOT part of the background. It should be on its own layer. If it is part of the background, double click on the layer and click ‘ok’ to take it off of the background.) Make a duplicate of this layer (you now have 2 layers of your image).

STEP 2 – WATERCOLOUR FILTER
Select your duplicate layer. Go to Filter -> Artistic -> Watercolour
(Use the following inputs: Brush Detail: 14, Shadow Intensity: 0, Texture: 3)

STEP 3 – LAYER OPTIONS
Change your layer mode to Hard Light and change your layer opacity to 35%.
Merge your layer down with your first layer (now you’re back to 1 layer)
Select your layer. Go to Filter -> Texture -> Texturizer
(Use the following inputs: Scale: 120%, Relief: 2)

STEP 4 – 3D EFFECT
Select your layer, rotate it slightly and add a faint drop shadow for a 3D paper effect. To add a drop shadow, you must double click on your layer to bring up the Layer Styles. Choose ‘Drop Shadow‘ and customize the drop shadow to your liking!

And VOILA! Was this tutorial helpful? Too hard or too easy? I’d love to hear your feedback! :o)